


within those four walls, we were unashamed

by sea_dragon



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Blood and Injury, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, SO, Stitch and Needle, there’s also fluff ig but they’re two little shits that won’t say i love you out loud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26862652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sea_dragon/pseuds/sea_dragon
Summary: Uma accidentally gets injured and Mal takes care of her.
Relationships: Mal/Uma (Disney)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	within those four walls, we were unashamed

**Author's Note:**

> hello umal nation it’s val here, i tried to write one of my favorite tropes with my favorite pair of gfs! i’ve had this on my drafts for a while now but y’all can thank alice for making me actually post it (and editing it for me), so alice if you’re seeing this, thank you! ily and i hope you all can enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing it :D also check out our umal fic “purple wings, aqua springs”!! there’s only one chapter left and i’m already crying k bye

Of all the people on the isle who could hurt her, Uma never thought that CJ was going to be the one to get close enough to do it.

The isle of the lost was raw and unforgiving, with each turf trying to make their way to the top, regardless of who they trampled or where they ended up to achieve it. 

They had been raised that way, after all.

Uma’s pirates were well trained for this very reason, even Uma herself spent several hours a day practicing with her sword to perfect her technique and attacks; She had a lot to learn, but she was one of the best swordsmen on the isle.

It was because of this, that when CJ surprised them with an attack on the dock and almost sliced through her own brother's neck, Uma didn't even have time to think about her movements, and instantly intervened. Harry survived, but that cost her dearly.

It was a low blow, surprising them without giving them time to regroup, but no clean strikes could be expected on the isle. Even the unwritten rules were there to be broken. With unsteady steps, clutching the walls to steady herself, Uma cursed under her breath.

Thanks to the fact that she had been injured in the stomach and forehead, Uma was forced to leave the fight. Not because she wanted to, but because she was the captain. Everyone would care more about protecting her than saving their own skins, and that wasn’t going to help anyone. Uma had to disappear and heal her wounds herself, and then when she was better, go find her crew and check the damage that had been done to them.

There was only one place that came to mind where she could do that, and she didn't know if it was a good idea to listen to her brain, but Uma didn't exactly have many other options.

She picked up a rock and threw it at the already bruised sign that led to the stair rail, and continued on her way. The noise in the dark alley should have already warned the person who spent most of their time there that someone was approaching, but still, Uma knocked on the door, unconsciously putting her hand on her stomach, trying to stop the blood that was pouring out from her wound.

She was greeted with a pair of emerald eyes that clearly denoted irritation, possibly from being interrupted from whatever it was they were doing. In any other situation, Uma would’ve made a bad joke just to keep annoying Mal, but given her circumstances, she wasn't in the mood, so she cut to the chase.

"Do you have room for someone else?"

Apparently, thanks to the harsh question, Mal really looked at Uma for the first time, and noticed her state. Wasting no time, Mal took her by the arm and guided her inside, not before looking both ways to see if anyone had followed Uma. She was bleeding, but she had managed to not leave a trail of blood behind her. That was something. She closed the door and locked it with a chain.

Uma wanted to move but her feet failed her, causing her to stumble, but Mal's arms saved her before her face connected gracefully with the floor.

"Looks like I'm falling for you."

Mal huffed and helped her up, passing one of Uma's arms around her neck while sliding one of her hands to her waist.  
"Can you tell me what happened to you this time or you’re just going to keep joking?" Mal asked, as she led Uma to her bed. (Saying that it was a bed was too much, it was simply a worn out mattress with holes on some pieces of wood, with purple thin sheets, but considering where they lived, even that was a luxury).

“Give me some credit. This is only the second time it’s happened."

"Yes, and I wish it was the last, but you’re not going to give me that satisfaction."

"What can I say?" Mal laid Uma on the bed with a care that did not transfer the anger she appeared to have. "I like to surprise you."

"Shut your mouth," Mal said, as she threw her a washcloth. “And press that to your forehead. I'm going to get the kit. And you better give me back everything I'm going to use to save your pathetic ass! " Mal yelled from afar, as she entered the small room that was the bathroom.

Uma smiled as she brought the cloth to her forehead. She recognized the place, and more than anything, this corner that functioned as Mal's room. She knew they didn’t have doors, but it was easy to know where her territory began, since the girl had a strange obsession with the color purple. A rug that had seen better days, a studded jacket tossed on the floor carelessly, and a sketchbook perched on top of a pile of books that worked as a nightstand were just some of the clues.

But what stood out the most about the place were the intricate drawings on the walls. Each of Mal's friends had one in particular, and even then, the ones designed for Mal herself were much more detailed and thoughtful. Green flames rose from the floor and ascended all over the ceiling, covering the damp stains that crept into the place. Maleficent’s logo was present almost anywhere you looked, and was sometimes accompanied by a "Down with Auradon!". Different shades of purple fought over who was going to stand out the most, creating a wonderful but chaotic harmony.

If Uma stood up a bit, she could even see Mal's drawing of her on one of the few white walls that hadn't been attacked by her strokes. Uma remembered that day with guarded suspicion. She was never going to admit it out loud, but it was one of the few memories that made her feel the closest to happiness.

She didn't have to work in the Fish and Chips that day as her mother had gotten mad at her (as usual) and told her she didn't want to see her face for the whole day. Before Ursula could realize she had done her a favor, Uma took off her apron, grabbed her sword, and ran out the doors of the restaurant.

Her instincts had naturally walked her to Mal's hideout. The other girl greeted her with a very unusual smile, but seeing the paint stains on her face, Uma knew exactly why she was in such a good mood. Apparently, painting was the only thing that made the scariest VK in the whole place turn into a simple teenager who enjoyed creating with her hands instead of using them for destruction.

It was a rare sight, although you could find Mal painting in all possible places on the isle, it was within these four walls that she really showed how happy it made her. Many times Uma thought about how lucky she was to be able to witness it.

They didn't stop laughing all afternoon, stealing kisses and getting annoyed while throwing paint at each other, and then Mal had the brilliant idea of doing a portrait of Uma. Without thinking too much, Uma agreed. She was so drunk on Mal's smile that Uma was sure she would’ve accepted whatever Mal had proposed to her.

They had been trained since childhood to not believe in love, and that any display of affection was a weakness. Now that Uma thought about it, after so long, she wondered what it really meant, and why Mal had been so careless that day, showing her something that she shouldn't.

"You still with me, Shrimpy?" Because of the memory, Uma had forgotten the pain and stared at a fixed point in the room, so she didn’t notice Mal preparing a needle and thread.

"You don't know how to use that." Uma wasn't stupid, she knew she needed stitches, and it's not like that she was scared (she had been stitched up several times in the past, to the point that it was just a minor annoyance now) but she would rather want that the person who was going to do it knew what they were doing.

With a lazy grin, Mal replied, “My best friend sews clothes every day as a hobby, do you think she hasn't taught me a thing or two about how to do this? Come on, scoot over.”

Climbing onto the bed next to her, Mal slid one of her legs between Uma's, and Uma settled into a position to give Mal a better access to her forehead.

Uma had to admit, having Mal's body so close and in such an intricate position made her cheeks turn red before she could try to control herself. Mal noticed this, and let out a satisfied laugh.

"You're not going to tell me you're ashamed now." Mal took her jaw carefully and raised it.

She didn't know what game they were playing, but Uma knew she wasn't going to lose. She slid her hand down the side of Mal's body until she rested it on her hips. "You have work to do if I'm not mistaken."

Now Mal's cheeks matched Uma's. Good.

Wasting no more time, she cleaned the wound one last time and began to stitch it.

Uma couldn't help but wince each time the needle moved particularly slowly out of her skin, but Mal's touch soothed her, her thumb rubbing circles into the sensitive skin.

It felt natural to be like this.

They couldn't say they were a couple, having someone by your side was a death wish. Just thinking about how all her enemies could go after Mal if they knew how much the girl meant to her made her insides twist in discomfort. They didn't need to talk about it (or maybe they did, but for their own sake, they didn't), and so they came to a silent agreement that when needed, they would look for each other. And that was that.

The thing was, not everything was so simple.

She had tried to stay neutral, to use Mal only when her body called for it (after all, being with someone of your rank was the safest thing to do), and yet she let herself be carried away by the hurricane that was Mal.

Uma found herself admiring Mal in situations where she should be maintaining her composure. How Mal’s nose wrinkled when she said something mischievous, how her eyes changed color without her noticing when her magic was bubbling and waiting at the bit to come out, or how she crossed her feet and stuck her tongue out of her mouth when she was drawing. They were little things Uma knew that she couldn't justify knowing.

Even now, with Mal so close to her, she could notice a slight change in her scent (that constant smell of spray can and sweat, now mixed with Uma's own ocean scent) and how her hair fell in cascades across her face, but it was short enough that it didn’t interfere with her vision. An urge to take the other girl in her arms filled her, and Uma had to clench her fists to suppress that need.

With a final breath, Mal stepped away to inspect her work.

"Voilà!" Mal brought her fingers to her mouth and threw them into the air. “It’s done. Not to toot my own horn, but this is probably my finest work.”

"I'm happy to be of help." And happy that it was over.

“Ah, but I'm not quite done. Or have you forgotten about the wound in your stomach? "

Fuck. Uma had forgotten about that.

"Don't worry, it will heal itself." She said quickly. Uma knew that type of wound and she knew that she wasn’t in danger, she simply had to clean it so that it doesn’t become infected and change the bandage.

"Nothing of that. You've come here so that I can take care of you, and that's what I'm going to do.” Mal put one of her hands to Uma's chest, giving her the only option of lying down.

If having Mal next to her before was already hard, now having her sitting on her lap while leaning over her stomach was torture.

Mal was small and had a delicate figure, but being on top of Uma made her look as imposing as any other big villain. Uma couldn't stop looking at her mesmerized. Unaware of what she was doing to Uma, Mal continued her inspection, while Uma was all too aware of her fingers on her skin.

“It appears you’re right, it's not that serious. But I'm still gonna clean it. Do you have any other injuries you’re not talking about?” Uma shook her head, although to be honest, if she had any other injuries, she wasn’t going to notice while Mal was in such close proximity to her.

"Good." Once again, Mal took a bottle of clear liquid and spilled its contents on the wound. Uma hissed and Mal blew on the wound, taking gauze and cutting small pieces of tape.

"If you don't like it, you shouldn't let them catch you." Mal didn't meet her eyes, but Uma knew it meant that she was worried. That was her language. Mal was never going to say what she really thought, she was always going to speak in a secret code.

"And prevent you from playing nurse? Where’s the fun in that?”

"Maybe," Mal finished covering the wound a little more carelessly. Uma bit her lip to avoid complaining. “I don't like that role. Next time, if you need help, give me a call and I'll help you kill whoever you want."

Mal's threats were not in vain, and Uma didn’t need to personally know the girl to know that she was serious. Mal placed an arm next to Uma's head and brushed her lips against Uma’s. The sea witch leaned into it and cupped Mal’s face to keep her there.

"Are you going to fight my battles for me now?"

"No," A cheshire cat smile curved Mal’s lips, causing Uma to smile as well. "I’m going to help you win them."

Wasting no more time, Mal connected her mouth with Uma's.

There was nothing Uma enjoyed more than this. Being in the company of Mal, enjoying her touch while safe from the dangers that threaten the isle at every turn.

It may be true that they would never be able to be a normal couple, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t take advantage of every moment they had together.


End file.
